The Devil's Disciple

Throughout Devil's Disciple, satiric laughter undermines the pompous roar of hypocritical words and the beat of ceremonious drums. Dick Dudgeon, the devil's disciple, reveals the false sanctimony of his family, attracts the minister's holier-than-thou wife, and impulsively offers his life for the minister's.

This plot demands melodramatic situations which are absurd enough to be satirized--and yet subtle enough to reveal nuances of personality. Shaw's characters are complex creations. They discover and reveal unpleasant truths about themselves, as when the minister's wife Judith finds herself falling in love with Dick, the dashing reprobate. Several times in the first two acts, Director Clayton Koelb sacrifices subtlety to mere farce. For example, Dick's younger brother, Charles Degleman is so completely--if amusingly--idiotic that it is hard to remember that he is considered the "good" brother of the family.

Except for this overdone portrayal, the characterizations are penetrating. Mark Bramhall's movements and changes of tone demonstrate Dick Dudgeon's energetic honesty. His smile is perfect: it can soften into kindness, flash a satiric comment on his own words, or reveal a spirited man who impetuously offers to sacrifice his life. Micheal Ehrhardt plays General Burgoyne, a character whose ability to mock an absurd situation resembles Dick's; he is impressive in his dignity, biting in his wit. Even Pamela Harris's opening gesture foreshadows the careful details of her performance: she awakens, and consciously assumes her dour, self-righteous expression.

All characterizations benefit from revealing gestures. They enhance Laura Esterman's fine performance as the minister's wife; she smooths her skirt self-consciously as she utters smug platitudes--and grasps her husband'; sleeve distractedly after falling in love with Dick Dudgeon.

Koelb has blocked the action to produce tableaux which highlight the play's themes. Some of these capture and frame a perfect moment of deception. For example, Mrs. Dudgeon is more concerned about the disposition of her property than the death of her husband; then she enters the room in slow-paced mourning and all relatives rise and bow their heads in sympathy.

Through its sharp angles, John Anderson's set of Mrs. Dudgeon's home captures the harshness of the woman herself. All sets appear in the center of the stage with a large "outdoors" area around them; the action outside the rooms often contrast with that within, underlining the ceremonies of hypocrisy. Shaw has slaughtered a number of sacred cows--and throughout this performance, the audience delights in their death.